Schumacher earns pole, Hagan No. 2 to lead DSR in NHRA Southern Nationals near Atlanta

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Schumacher, U.S. Army get pole, now want first Atlanta trophy;
defending Southern Nationals champ Hagan qualifies No. 2
COMMERCE, Ga. (May 6, 2017) - Eight-time NHRA Top Fuel  world champion Tony Schumacher
earned his second No. 1 qualifying position of the year and 82nd of his illustrious
career for the U.S. Army on Saturday of the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway
in Commerce, Ga.
After losing Friday's two qualifying sessions to a persistent drizzle and cold track,
the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series returned the following afternoon to cool
 weather, sunny skies and a sold-out crowd before it began to rain in the evening.
But by then, Mello Yello qualifying was completed.
Don Schumacher Racing nearly claimed both nitro   poles with the 2017 Dodge Charger
R/T Funny Cars Powered by Pennzoil led by Matt Hagan (Mopar Express Lane) in second
and followed by Tommy Johnson Jr. (Terry Chandler's Make-A-Wish) in third and reigning
world champion Ron Capps (NAPA AUTO PARTS) in fourth.
Capps has won the last two event titles on the three-week "southern swing" and looks
for the sweep Sunday to extend his points lead and win for the fourth time in seven
Mello Yello events.
Racing is scheduled to begin at 11 (ET) Sunday.
In Top Fuel, behind Schumacher is teammate three-time world champion Antron Brown
in the No. 3 spot (Matco Tools/U.S. Army) with points leader Leah Pritchett (Papa
John's Pizza) seeded 11th, her lowest starting spot of the season.
Schumacher has an NHRA Top Fuel record 83 Mello Yello event titles and has won at
every NHRA national event track except one: Atlanta Dragway.
"Man, I want to win this race," said Schumacher, whose runner-up finishes at Atlanta
came in 2000, 2008, 2011 and 2012. His best run Saturday was in the second session
at 3.736 seconds and 325.45 mph.
"Our U.S. Army car and team are simply bad to the bone. We got down the track on
 both our runs today and we got No. 1, got four bonus points in the two sessions,"
said Schumacher, who moved to within 24 points of teammate and points leader Pritchett.
"Look, we're in second place in the standings and the only way you can get to first
place is by taking points away from the person in front of you. So you go up there,
take a couple of points away every time we qualify, qualify in a better spot, run
a better race, and you will move up in the points. People seem to love pointing 
out that I've never won here, but I've done alright here. I've just never won it.
We'll just go out and do what we know how to do tomorrow and see where we end up."
Brown and the Matco Tools/U.S. Army Dragster for DSR opened the day by laying down
the second-best run of the opening session in 3.745 (319.45). He improved slightly
with a closing run of 3.741 (326.08).
"It was a great day," said Brown, who in addition to his four Top Fuel wins at Atlanta
also has a pair of event titles in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class. "Our Matco Tools/U.S.
Army team was just exceptional today. We had two quality runs that we can definitely
work off of tomorrow because tomorrow's going to be similar, maybe just a little
 hotter."
For Hagan, his closing run of 3.930 (325.65) only was topped by Courtney Force who
set a track record at 3.893.
"The big points come on Sunday and (crew chief) Dickie Venables keeps showing how
he can set up a race car," said Hagan, who won at Atlanta a year ago.
"I'm an old Virginia boy and I love racing in the South. We lost the points lead
 to (teammate Ron) Capps and we want to get back tomorrow real bad."
QUALIFYING RESULTS FROM NEAR HOUSTON
TOP FUEL
No. 1 qualifier: Tony Schumacher (Don Schumacher Racing), 3.736 sec., 318.99 mph
TONY SCHUMACHER, U.S. Army
Crew chief: Mike Green; assistant: Phil Shuler
Quailfied: No. 1
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: Brittany Force
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: rained out
SATURDAY: 3.778 sec., 323.35 mph, (Session 3); 3.736 sec., 318.99 mph, (Session 
4)
Best Time, Speed: 3.667 sec. (2017, Phoenix); 332.51 mph (2016, Brainerd)
Last event (April 28-30, Charlotte Four-Wide): Qualified No. 8, finished runner-up
to Steve Torrence for event title
A year ago at Atlanta: Qualified No. 8, lost in second round to event winner Doug
Kalitta
Career at Atlanta: Wins 0; Runner-ups 4 (2012, 2011, 2008, 2000); Poles 1 (2012)
Qualified: No. 1
ANTRON BROWN: Matco Tools/U.S. Army
Crew chiefs: Brian Corradi, Mark Oswald;  assistant: Brad Mason
Qualified: No.3
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: Troy Coughlin Jr.
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: rained out
SATURDAY: 3.745 sec., 291.07 mph, (Session 3); 3,741, 326.08, (Session 4)
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
Best time, speed: 3.667 (2017, Phoenix); 331.12 mph (2015, Brainerd)
Last event (April 28-30, Charlotte Four-Wide): Qualified No. 3, lost in second round
A year ago at Atlanta: Qualified No. 5, lost in semifinals to Steve Torrence
Career at Atlanta: Wins 6 (2015, 2013, 2011, 2008, 2006*, 2001*); Runner-ups 1 (2003*);
Poles 1 (2006*); * Pro Stock Motorcycle
LEAH PRITCHETT, Papa John's Pizza
Crew chief: Todd Okuhara; assistant: Joe Barlam
Qualified: No. 11
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: Terry McMillen
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: rained out
SATURDAY: 3.862 sec., 304.05 mph, (Session 3); 6.513, 98.56, (Session 4)
Best Time, Speed: 3.658 sec. (world record, 2017, Phoenix); 329.91 (2017, Phoenix)
Last event (April 28-30, Charlotte Four-Wide): Qualified No. 8, finished runner-up
to Steve Torrence for event title
A year ago at Atlanta: Qualified No. 8, lost in second round to event winner Doug
Kalitta
Career at Atlanta: Wins 0; Runner-ups 4 (2012, 2011, 2008, 2000); Poles 1 (2012)
FUNNY CAR
No. 1 qualifier: Courtney Force (John Force Racing), 3.893 sec.-track record, 322.65
mph
MATT HAGAN, Mopar Express Lane 2017 Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chief: Dickie Venables; assistant: Michael Knudsen
Qualified: No. 2
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: Cruz Pedregon
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: rained out
SATURDAY: 5.516 sec., 129.16 mph, (Session 3); 3.930, 325.45, (Session 4)
Best Time, Speed: 3.822 sec. (world record, (2016, Brainerd/2017, Pomona 1); 335.57
mph (world record, 2016, Topeka/2017, Pomona 1)
Last event (April 28-30, Charlotte Four-Wide): Qualified No. 4, lost in championship
round to DSR teammate Ron Capps
A year ago at Atlanta: Qualified No. 2, won in championship round over DSR teammate
Jack Beckman
Career at Atlanta: Wins 1 (2016); Runner-ups 1 (2013); Poles 1 (2013)
RON CAPPS, NAPA AUTO PARTS 2017 Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chief: Rahn Tobler; assistant: Eric Lane
Qualified: No. 4
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: J.R. Todd
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: rained out
SATURDAY: 5.537 sec., 125.30 mph, (Session 3); 3.955, 323.97, (Session 4)
Best Time, Speed: 3.839 sec. (2017, Phoenix); 333.58 mph (2017, Phoenix)
Last event (April 28-30, Charlotte Four-Wide): Qualified No. 6, won in championship
round over DSR teammates Jack Beckman, Matt Hagan and J.R. Todd
A year ago at Atlanta: Qualified No. 8, lost in second round to DSR teammate Jack
Beckman
Career at Atlanta: Wins 1 (2012); Runner-ups 4 (2015, 2001, 2000, 1995); Poles 0
JACK BECKMAN, Terry Chandler's Infinite Hero 2017 Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chiefs: John Medlen, Dean Antonelli, Neal Strausbaugh
Qualified: No. 14
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: Tommy Johnson Jr.
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: rained out
SATURDAY: 5.584 sec., 124.27 mph, (Session 3);v 5.738, 120.08, (Session 4)
Best Time, Speed: 3.825 sec.-second quickest ever, (2016 Pomona 2); 334.15 mph (Seattle
2016)
Last event (April 28-30, Charlotte Four-Wide): Qualified No. 10, runner-up to event
winner and DSR teammate Ron Capps
A year ago at Atlanta: Qualified No. 1, lost to event winner and DSR teammate Matt
Hagan
Career at Atlanta: Wins 2 (2011, 2009); Runner-ups 1 (2016); Poles 1 (2016)
TOMMY JOHNSON JR., Terry Chandler's Make-A-Wish 2017 Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chief: John Collins; assistant: Rip Reynolds
Qualified: No. 3
SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS
First round: Jack Beckman
QUALIFYING
FRIDAY: rained out
SATURDAY: 4.731 sec., 169.85, (Session 3); 3.937, 319.29, (Session 4)
Best Time, Speed: 3.825 sec.-second quickest ever, (2016 Pomona 2); 334.15 mph (Seattle
2016)
Last event (April 28-30, Charlotte Four-Wide): Qualified No. 10, runner-up to event
winner and DSR teammate Ron Capps
A year ago at Atlanta: Qualified No. 1, lost to event winner and DSR teammate Matt
Hagan
Career at Atlanta: Wins 2 (2011, 2009); Runner-ups 1 (2016); Poles 1 (2016)
ABOUT DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered near Indianapolis in Brownsburg, Ind., fields
seven professional teams in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. In Top Fuel,
the U.S. Army dragster driven by eight-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher,
the three-time and reigning world champion Matco Tools dragster driven by Antron
 Brown and Leah Pritchett in the Papa John's Pizza dragster.
In 2017 Dodge Chargers R/T Funny Cars, two-time world champion Matt Hagan in the
 Mopar Express Lane Dodge, the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge driven by 2016 world champion
Ron Capps, 2012 NHRA world champion Jack Beckman in the Infinite Hero Foundation
 Dodge and the Make-A-Wish Dodge driven by Tommy Johnson Jr.
DSR has won 303 NHRA national event titles and 16 world championships.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Jeff Wolf (wolfj@shoeracing.com), 702.524.1368

Leah Vaughn (vaughnl@shoeracing.com), 618.516.1988

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